As you can see, this is a hymn close to the hearts of Protestants and Lutherans, a source of assurance in times of duress and persecution. Albert Bailey writes, “It was, as Heine said, the Marseillaise of the Reformation…It was sung in the streets…It was sung by poor Protestant emigres on their way to exile, and by martyrs at their death…Gustavus Adolphus ordered it sung by his army before the battle of Leipzig in 1631…Again it was the battle hymn of his army at Lutzen in 1632…It has had a part in countless celebrations commemorating the men and events of the Reformation and its first line is engraved on the base of Luther’s monument at Wittenberg…An imperishable hymn! Not polished and artistically wrought but rugged and strong like Luther himself, whose very words seem like deeds” ( The Gospel in Hymns, 316). Many stories have been relayed about its use. This hymn is often referred to as “the battle hymn” of the Reformation. The closing line of the text provides much comfort: "God's truth abideth still his kingdom is forever!" "Earthly powers" in stanza four undoubtedly referred to the Roman Catholic authorities of Luther's day, but modern Christians may identity other "powers" that oppose the rule of Christ. The text expresses trust in God's protection amidst the battle that Christians wage against the devil. Stanzas 1-3 of the original text were inspired by Psalm 46 stanza 4 arose directly from Luther's persecution experience. He is remembered primarily for his translation of Luther's famous hymn. His original hymns and translations were published in Hymns for the Church of Christ (1853), which he compiled with F. A respected transcendentalist and a famous German scholar, he published the monumental Prose Writers of Germany 0848). Hedge served congregations in Maine, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, and taught church history at Harvard Divinity School (1857-1876) and German literature at Harvard University (1872-1884). Educated at Harvard University and Divinity School, he became a Unitarian minister in 1829. Between the ages of twelve and sixteen he was in Germany, where he studied German literature. Hedge was a precocious child who read Latin and Greek classics at an early age. Hedge's translation, which closely follows Luther's words, is the one usually found in North American hymnals.
Cambridge, 1890) it was published in Furness's Gems of German Verse (1852) and in Hymns for the Church of Christ (1853), a hymnal edited by Hedge and Frederick Huntington. This English translation of Luther's German text is by Frederick H. See PHH 468 for a brief history of the original text and tune. 3 And though this world, with devils filled,
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